Motor Theft Alerts: Stay Vigilant

A recent spate of specific motor theft M.Os acts as a timely
reminder to stay vigilant.

A sharp rise in motor theft continues, with insurers paying
out record numbers on claims. According to the ABI, the first 9 months of 2018
saw pay outs totalling £271,000,000.

A major contributing factor is the speed at which criminals
are finding security holes in new technology. Keyless technology, for instance,
has allowed the theft of cars without any kind of break in or struggle.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the recent motor
theft M.Os and how you can go about preventing them.

Airport Parking Scam

Airport parking by nature involves a huge amount of trust.
This is especially true if you’re handing over the keys to your vehicle before
boarding the plane.

You’re trusting the parking operator to only enter or move
your vehicle when it’s absolutely appropriate, and to not move or disturb any
of your belongings.

Recently, we’ve heard of a number of cases where cars have
been stolen or have mysteriously disappeared whilst booked into airport
parking. On some of these occasions, the thefts haven’t even been reported
until the owner returns to collect their vehicle.

One such example involved an individual booking secure
parking for Manchester Airport. They paid £49.99 for the promise of parking
covered by CCTV.

The parking appeared official; a confirmation email was sent
and the company sent a uniformed member of staff to pick the car up from a
rendezvous point outside the airport. They also had what appeared to be
official documentation.

When the vehicle owner arrived back in the UK, they
telephoned the number given on the official document, but there was no reply.
When they finally made contact with the customer, they were told that the
vehicle had never been received and that the owner should contact the police
instead.

However, the parking services company then contacted the
insured to correct themselves; the car had been lodged and subsequently stolen.
They wouldn’t elaborate on how, and this was their final communication.

Investigations revealed that the alleged “secure compound” is
a farmer’s field in Cheshire.

The moral of this particular story is to do through
research. Contact the airport to validate any parking agency and make sure that
you can find evidence that the company are who they say they are.

Motor Home Thefts

A couple of months ago, we wrote about the increase in
keyless car thefts. Recently, this has manifested in the theft of multiple Ford
Motorhomes, usually after motocross race meets. The motorhomes aren’t broken
into; criminals are using key-cloning devices to hack into the on-board
computer and connect a new key from a blank.

The motorhomes are usually spotted for sale online within a
few days.

The best way to prevent this type of theft is to purchase
additional security. Key programming can take as little as 14 seconds, so you
can’t rely on being there to stop the thief every time. Fitting a lock to your
diagnostic port or a steering wheel clamp are two preventative measures.

Hire Vehicle Thefts

Hire vehicle thefts aren’t new, but thieves are changing
their M.O and means of disposal/distribution. Lancashire and West Yorkshire has
been a hotspot in recent months.

Offenders are hiring a vehicle in one county before removing
the tracking device and reporting it stolen in another county. This means more
than one police force are become involved, making the investigation trickier.
The thieves also wait a number of days before reporting the ‘theft’.

Intelligence suggests that perpetrators come from the same
gang.

Proper and thorough background checks are the best form of
crime prevention.

Our advice for all drivers

Thorough understanding and proper precaution are the keys to
preventing vehicle theft.

The airport parking scam and hire vehicle thefts call for
background research to verify the identity and validity of the person you’re
dealing with.

When it comes to key cloning, re-programming and keyless
theft, it pays to understand your vehicle’s security system. For instance, can
you turn the key signal off? Or can it be masked with a Faraday pouch?

Remember, stay vigilant and ensure that any theft or
suspicious behaviour is reported to the police immediately.